Description

This north-facing granite buttress features a number of routes from moderate to hard with single pitch and multi-pitch offerings. The majority of the wall stays in the shade all day.

The classic Sucking Wind, as featured in Glenn Randall's 1983 book Vertigo Games, is here along with an old '60s Layton Kor line as well as more recent additions by the likes of Jeff Achey and others.

Getting There

Park at the Shosone exit (#123) on I-70. Hike upstream on the bike path for about 1 mile (15-20 minutes). The cleanly cut north face of the Fountain Buttress will be obvious across the river. You have a few options to cross the river, depending on season and water level. 1, during low water you can rock hop across. 2, you can take some type of boat. 3, you can swim. 4, there is typically a Tyrolean traverse set up, just a couple minutes walk upstream from the Fountain Buttress. When hiking on the bike path, look for a spot where the river narrows down and there are trees on both sides. The typical spot where it is set is right where a long section of brown fence along the bike path ends. After crossing the river, by whatever method, hike along the tracks to the buttress, keeping in mind that the railroad is private property and you are trespassing.

The classic line at the Fountain Buttress is one of the best trad lines in Glenwood Canyon. It is quality, clean climbing up a steep granite face. Featured in Glenn Randall's 1983 Vertigo Games book, you've probably spied this line when driving westbound on I-70 as it's the striking splitter cutting through the right size of the cleancut north face of the Fountain Buttress. Sucking Wind was originally climbed in 4 pitches but is most often done in two, or one long pitch, thanks to a variation p...[more]Browse More Classics in CO